ICC hoping Sri Lanka will tour England

MOHALI, India (Reuters) - The International Cricket Council (ICC) is hoping a solution will be soon found to end doubts over Sri Lanka's test tour of England next year over a date clash with India's official Twenty20 league.

"There is ongoing discussions between Sri Lanka and England Cricket Board (ECB) because it is a bilateral tour," ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat told Reuters on Saturday. "They will continue to sort out and find some way forward."

Sri Lanka are due to tour England in next April and May but many leading players are keen to play in the lucrative league scheduled around the same time.

The island's sports minister is keen for the players to be released to play in India amid media reports of the league planning a multi-million dollar package to the Sri Lanka board.

"The ICC would love to see us protecting the primacy of test cricket and it is important that we have those bilateral tours continuing," Lorgat said.

"I would hope people take the big picture into account."

He said the ICC had not asked the Indian board to step in as it was a bilateral issue between England and Sri Lanka.

"As always we all belong to the ICC, it is one family, we must do the right thing," he said. "If the BCCI gets involved and supports coming to the right answers, of course I would be delighted."